Christmas trees stolen from Boy Scouts

TOWN OF ULSTER — Christmas tree bandits stole 60 evergreens from a Boy Scouts of America display Thanksgiving morning, a Scout official said.

Ray Braun, executive director of the Scouts’ Rip Van Winkle Council, said he received a call at about 1:30 a.m. that the trees had been pilfered from the parking lot of the Burlington Coat Factory on Route 9W in the Town of Ulster.

“My stomach just hollowed up,” said Braun.

Braun said it looked like the Grinches used a chain to pull down the wooden corral where the trees were being kept. Damage was also done to a nearby 26-foot trailer where Scouts go to keep warm.

With the property destruction and repair costs, Braun said there was more than $3,000 worth of damage.

Since the thefts, Braun said many people have been stopping by the site to console the Scouts, who still have about 800 trees left to sell. Money from the sales is slated to go toward the Scouts’ Camp Tri-Mount, near Tannersville in Greene County.

Braun said the Scouts would love to get their trees back, adding that he also felt bad for whomever took them. “I’m sad for whoever was desperate enough to do it,” Braun said.

Town of Ulster police have beefed up their evening drive-throughs of the area and are investigating the theft, according to Braun.

The boys were sad, but – like good Scouts – they were determined to move on after the incident, he said.

The theft was also a sign that more folks need to adhere to the Scouting way of life, Braun said.

“To me, it’s a good wake-up call that we need Scouting more than ever,” he said.